Since NASCAR’s earliest days, the sport has thrived not only on speed, innovation, and engine sounds but also on the larger-than-life personalities behind the wheel. Noah Gragson recently spoke candidly about that shift, offering drivers’ views from inside the paddock.
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NASCAR lovers adored Richard Petty’s innovative cars and Dale Earnhardt’s driving skills among the countless other things that have made the sport so great. But they also connected with these stars as humans. They related to how they behaved off the track.
That spark, sadly, seems to have dimmed. Today’s grid often feels buttoned-up, with drivers cautious in their words and reserved in their emotions. During a recent media session, when asked if he wished more drivers showed their true selves online as he does, Gragson didn’t mince words.
“I do. I think there’s a lot of good personalities that not a lot of people get to see because in the sense that drivers are handcuffed a little bit, maybe with partners or with the sport, and Ricky got fined $75,000 grand for probably one of the biggest highlights last year with Kyle Busch, and he gets fined for it,” he said.
Gragson admitted it’s a tough balancing act. He spoke about how most drivers are simply afraid to step out of line for fear of consequences.
“Everybody’s just kind of scared,” he explained, noting that while there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed, drivers off the track are far more entertaining than fans might imagine.
Having shared countless laughs with competitors, Gragson said many of them are surprisingly fun once the helmets come off. Still, he acknowledged that everyone has to decide how much of themselves to share, on how much they want to show the general public, and whatnot. But he asserted that if it were up to him, everybody would just be outgoing and show them their true colors.
When asked why some drivers stay guarded, Gragson quipped, “Maybe they’re smarter than me. I don’t know. If it works for them, it works for them. I just try to be myself at the end of the day.”
“I’m kind of loud, proud, and drawing crowd, and just trying to have as much fun as possible. I prepare and I work hard behind the scenes that not a lot of people see my work behind closed doors.”
The Front Row Motorsports driver added that while fans see the lighthearted side of him online, there’s plenty of hard work happening behind closed doors, a side he’s proud to share with those who follow his journey.
